Cry
by Destiny Lockheart
Summary: IsisSeto When Isis' determination to stop her brother is strongest she learns matters of the heart are not so easily dealt with. Those who review get lolipops. -
1. Cry

**Cry**

by Destiny Lockheart

Disclaimer : I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh though I wish owned Malik. I also hold no rights to the song Cry by Mandy Moore. I wish I sounded that good when I sing, LOL. 

AN: This is primarily an Isis fic and the featured main couple is Isis/Seto. Don't you think they'd make such a great couple? ^-^ Underlined and Italics indicate the song. Italics indicate thoughts.

Remember people, I've only seen up to episode 33 and have only heard about the newer episodes.

&-&-&-&

_People always ask me why I try to get through to him. They tell me he's a cold heartless bastard that will never care about anything but himself. They say I don't stand a chance, that he'll never change his ways. I just smile a little and ignore them. They don't know what I've seen._

_I'll always remember, It was late afternoon,_

_It lasted forever, and ended too soon._

_You were all by yourself, staring up at a dark, gray sky, _

_I was changed_

_In places no one will find, all your feelings so deep inside_

_Was then that I realized that forever was in your eyes_

_The moment I saw you cry._

Isis stood alone, staring off into the sunset, contemplating many things. Mainly the future. Without her Sennen Tauk she felt unprepared for what was going to happen next. Sure, she had discovered the future wasn't always certain but earlier she could be at least slightly prepared for it. 

Mostly, her thoughts revolved around her younger brother and his future. She knew he had to be stopped at all costs, even if it required killing him. She wasn't sure that Yuugi would be willing to go that far. Supposedly, he had a way to get rid of Malik's other half, leaving only the light, or at least give him some control. There would be an improvement. A small one, but at least it would be there. Maybe it Yuugi got rid of the other half, she could reach the real Malik. 

If not... that's why she kept a small dagger hidden on her at all times. With Malik around, many times it was kill or be killed. She took it out and watched the remaining rays of the sun glint off it. The dagger that may possibly bring an end to Malik's madness. The dagger that might kill him. It was a horrible thought, but if it came to that, she would do it without hesitation. She quickly put the dagger away, not wanting to think about it anymore. 

She would let Yuugi try his way first. If it didn't work, well, she would think of a more thorough plan when the time came. 

She wasn't taking any chances. She had followed Yuugi and his friends carefully, not wanting to miss out on a single opportunity to try to reach her brother. Of course, she had followed them without being noticed by them, unlike Kaiba. He would join them once in awhile, then returning to his secret following which wasn't exactly so secret. Isis knew exactly where he was when he was trying to remain hidden.

The idiot Kaiba; no, the bastard Kaiba was a much better description. She had had only a few face to face encounters with him and none had been very pleasant. _'Like it's really my fault my brother is a psychotic bastard.' _She could imagine how Kaiba would react if his brother suddenly went crazy; he wouldn't give a damn. _She _had tried to do something about her brother, she was going to continue trying, and, by Ra, she would kill him if she had to.

She sighed as she turned away, walking back to her hotel. The falling darkness provided a perfect cover for her to go by unnoticed. She felt nervous walking along, not knowing what was going happen next. 

_'Damn Kaiba. Why'd he have to take away my sense of security?'_

She halted when she saw him up ahead, staring at the darkening sky. She ducked behind a tree, peering around the corner to see if he had noticed her. Obviously not, he was still just standing there. "What the hell's his problem?" Isis muttered under her breath. "A insignificant cat look at him the wrong way?"

But, he didn't seem to be angry, from where she was, it seemed as if was feeling no emotion at all. That proved all her theories of him being a soulless jackass. She reached for her dagger; she could free the world from its misery if she killed him right now. 

Her grip tightened and relaxed on the hilt as she contemplated her choices. She could kill him; if there was anything she learned from her brother it was how to kill without leaving a trace. He would be lying dead without ever knowing what had happened. Then again, it might be a mistake. For all she knew, he might have an important role to play that. She let go of her dagger completely; Malik would probably kill him soon enough anyway. 

Still, she couldn't help wonder why he was just standing there, looking up at the sky. She stepped out of the safety of the shadows, her curiosity finally getting the better of her. "Kaiba, just what the hell are you doing?"

He briefly glanced her way, a startled expression on his face. "My business is my own. I suggest you stay out of it, bitch," he said, walking off, leaving her standing there in stunned silence. 

Not because he had called her a stupid bitch, that much was expected. When he turned around to look at her, she had seen the unshed tears in his eyes and that was something she had never expected to see. There was also something else, something she wasn't so sure she wanted to admit at the time. When she looked into his eyes, she felt like she had the power of her Tauk back, and it was almost as if she had seen her future in his eyes. 

_It was late in September, and I've seen you before_

_You were always the cold one, but I was never that sure_

_You were all by yourself staring up at a dark gray sky, I was changed_

_In places no one will find all your feelings so deep inside_

_Was then that I realized that forever was in your eyes_

_The moment I saw you cry_

_That was when I changed my opinion about Seto Kaiba. I no longer saw him as a completely cold, heartless, bastard. In many ways, he now reminds me of my brother before his other half took over; you had to look to see the good in his heart, but it's there; he cares about those that are close to him._

_Unpredictable as it may sound, I believe I, Isis Isthar, am falling in love with that rich bastard, Seto Kaiba._

_I wanted to hold you, I wanted to make it go away_

_I wanted to know you, I wanted to make your everything alright_

_I'll always remember it was late afternoon_

_In places no one will find all your feelings so deep inside_

_Was then that I realized that forever was in your eyes_

_The moment I saw you cry._


	2. Hanging By A Moment

** Hanging by a Moment**

by Dreamstar

Disclaimer: Hmmm... I don't think I have millions of dollars so obviously I don't own them. I also don't own Lifehouse's Hanging By A Moment

Warnings: This chapter is quite a bit darker than the first one, mainly because Isis has a confrontation with her brother. No fluffy Seto/Isis, not yet anyway. *grins*

&-&-&-&

On the outside, Isis seemed to be completely calm and in control, cool and unfeeling. On the inside her stomach was twisting itself in knots, making her feel slightly ill. She tried to ignore it and she did everything within her power to keep anyone else from noticing it. She couldn't afford to show any weaknesses, not with so much at stake. She had to convince Malik she was more powerful. It didn't help that she was out here to meet him in the middle of the night with nothing but the darkness around.

A few moments ago she had spoken to Rashid and he had promised to tell her brother that she was here. Rashid was an old family friend and she was sincerely hoping he would go good on his word and not suddenly come back to kill her. She desperately needed to see Malik, she was possibly the only on that could reach his light half. She would have to try, it was better than just accepting the fact that killing him was the only way. 

As always when she saw her brother now, she was a bit taken aback by his appearance. He was no longer the little boy she had watched over so many years ago; he was now a very attractive, well-muscled young man. However, there was an evil aura around him that made her want to sprint all the way back to Egypt. Unwanted tears sprang to her eyes as she remembered how he was before the other half took over. If only things could ever be that way again. "If it isn't my dearest sister." He scowled, folding his arms across his chest. "You'd better not be here to tell me some sob story about how much you miss me and how much you love me. I have places to be, people to kill..."

Hearing him talk to her like that only renewed Isis' determination to get rid of his other half. She matched his glare with one of her own, hoping hers was at least just as intimidating. "Not exactly," she said coolly. 

Malik seemed slightly surprised, which was all the better for her. He quickly recovered and started walking in a circle around her, reminding her of the way a hawk circles its prey. "So you must be here to kill him."

"Maybe." She continued to watch him. No telling what he might do if she left her eyes off him for even a second. "I'm here to give you one last chance to stop this nonsense." 

"I believe that's what you told me the last time." Malik stopped circling to stand directly in front of her. "And it's not nonsense; I'm trying to create a better world."

Isis continued to glare at him. "By killing everyone, right?" He didn't answer her. "Yuugi will stop you and if he doesn't," she took a deep breath, "I will." 

Malik chuckled and turned his back to her. She couldn't see what was so funny; unless of course he had been wishing for his own death. He spun around and grabbed her dagger so fast she didn't register what was going on until he was holding it directly in front of her face. "Is this what you were going to kill me with?" She wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of an answer. He would probably interpret it as her being scared of him. "Nice craftsmanship," he said, inspecting the blade. 

He drew the blade across her arm, causing her to wince and grind her teeth in pain. "Sharp too," he muttered, wiping her blood off the dagger. "You see," he turned to look at her again, "I'm not afraid of any of you. Apparently, I'm going to have to prove that to Yuugi by killing one of his friends." He smirked. "I think I'll start with Seto Kaiba."

"Go ahead," she told him, resuming her death glare. "I was thinking about killing him myself anyway. But why him?" she asked confused. Her brother's logic made absolutely zero sense to her. "Why not Jounouchi or Anzu?" Maybe if she could get him talking, she might get a chance to reach him.

"I want to make Yuugi sees them suffer before they die." She shuddered, pitying her younger brother, wondering exactly what he went through every day. Then again, she wasn't even sure he knew what was going on most of the time. "Besides," he added as an afterthought, "that guy has the biggest stick up his ass."

That she would agree with, and it was probably the only thing she and her brother had agreed on in the last couple of years. Maybe an attempt on Kaiba's life wouldn't be such a bad thing. It might bring him down a few pegs so he wasn't acting so high and mighty all the time. She realized she should leave soon; her arm was really starting to hurt and she wanted to make sure Malik didn't injure her too seriously. "Malik, I came here to tell you that I may be the one that has to kill you but please remember that I do love you." 

His expression softened for a fleeting second, giving Isis the brief hope that maybe, just maybe, she was finally starting to get through to him. He leaned towards her and kissed her gently, carefully putting her dagger back into its hiding spot. Then he slapped her, a stinging blow that sent her staggering back a few paces. "Get out of here before I change my mind about not killing you." 

She left as fast as her pride and dignity would allow, not wanting to see if he would pull through on his threats about killing her. Only once she was absolutely sure he wouldn't see her did she stop under a streetlight, reaching up to rub her cheek. "Stupid bastard," she muttered. She inspected her arm where Malik had cut her. It didn't appear to be very deep, just a scratch really, but it hurt like hell. She couldn't rule out her being able to reach him quite yet, after all, he could have done a lot worse with that dagger than just scratch her and she was positive that if it had been anyone else but her, he would have. 

"I guess I should be counting my blessings." First things first, she had to wash the blood off her arm before she saw anyone else or else they would start worrying about her. She hated drawing a lot of attention to herself. 

_'Damn, I would have none not to go there if I would have had my Tauk,'_ she realized angrily. This pain was definitely something she could have lived without. 

She searched for a place to wash her arm off at, all the while mentally seething at what had happened to her all because of Seto Kaiba. It would have been so easy for her to hate him with every fiber of her being, if not for the other day. Still, she was going to that jackass a piece of her mind the next time she saw him. 

Unfortunately, she ran into him far too soon for her liking and before she had a chance to do anything about her arm and she was pretty sure a nasty bruise was forming where Malik had slapped her. The was definitely not the impression she wanted to give when she confronted Kaiba. Well, she still had her superior intellect and the fact that she had a soul that actually showed itself. She no longer Kaiba as soulless, not after the other day. "Kaiba," she said, eyes narrowing, much the same way Malik had done to her. _'Great, I learned how to be a bitch from my younger _brother_,'_ she thought sarcastically. 

Kaiba did not look happy to see her. He wasn't exactly her favorite person in the world either so they were pretty much even there. "What the hell do you want now?" he snarled. 

All the things she had planned to say, all the threats, the insults, flew right out of her head when she looked into his eyes. All she could think about was the way she had seen him the other day, the look in his eyes when he'd been ready to cry. She couldn't say anything bad to him when she had that image in her mind. Instead of what she had planned, she hung her head and looked to the side. "Nothing." She hated having him see her so weak and vulnerable like this but she couldn't get that damn image out of her head. Now, she felt like asking why he had been crying. That would get a real positive response, perhaps a bruise on her other cheek to match the one Malik had given her. 

"You look like shit," he stated, causing her to resume her death-glare. She knew it was the truth, but still, did he really have to mention something about it? "Did you get in a fight with a fellow cheap whore?"

She clenched her teeth; he was seriously pushing his luck. She forced herself to relax, telling herself that he wasn't worth her time, not in this way anyway. "Actually, that fight just started." His eyes narrowed dangerously, she just ignored it. "My last fight was with Malik."

He sneered. "The love flowing through your family amazes me, Isis," he said sarcastically. "I wish my brother loved me enough to kick my ass every time we met." She clenched her fist, trying to get back in control. She wasn't going to let him affect her like this. The problem was, he wasn't done yet. "Then again, to be exactly like you and Malik, we'd also have to be screwing each other." He smirked at her. "Right?"

It was quite easy for her to forget what she had seen in his eyes now. Now, she was thinking about breaking his stuck-up nose; after all, he could afford to fix it. "You little bastard! Just because I actually care about my brother, unlike some people around here-"

"Don't even go there, woman," he interrupted her. "I don't need lectures from you about caring about family." 

Isis was surprised that he had interrupted her; normally Kaiba would wait until someone finished then come up with some smart remark. Interrupting was too much like showing emotion, something Seto Kaiba didn't know anything about. She studied his face carefully, wondering what had caused this sudden outburst of feeling.

In his eyes, she saw the same look she saw the other day though this time without the tears. The same look that made her feel like she had her Tauk again and she was seeing her future. It was very disorienting, to say the least. She wasn't going to apologize, oh no, she wasn't going to give Lord Kaiba something else to gloat about. Though she did manage to refrain from saying anything else to him. 

_Desperate for changing_

_Starving for truth_

_I'm closer than where I started_

_I'm chasing after you_

_I'm falling even more in love with you_

_Letting go of all I've held on to_

_I'm standing here until you make me move_

_I'm hanging by a moment here with you_

She wished she hadn't gotten into the stupid fight with him to begin with. She could have been home by now, taking care of her injuries but no, fate or ill luck had to lead her straight to the bastard. It really wasn't fair. "Here, clean yourself off," he said, handing her a handkerchief, shocking her into a stunned silence. The was unreal, she had to be dreaming. Maybe Malik had killed her and this was hell. Or maybe Kaiba thought she would be his cheap whore for the evening. There was about a snowball's chance in hell of that happening. But Seto Kaiba did not just give something away for no reason. He always got something in return. So why the hell was he doing this?

"Take it," he said, shoving it into her hand. He turned and started to walk away. 

She looked from the cloth in her hand to Kaiba's retreating form, torn between what to do. Most confusing was the fact that she had never seen Kaiba show kindness to anyone before, let alone her. So why was he starting now? "Kaiba, I don't know what kind of game you're playing but," she hesitated, knowing she would never hear the end of this, "thank you."

He just kept on walking which was expected. Typical Kaiba move, never acknowledge anything if it may make you look like you have emotions. So, he kept on walking and she proceeded to wipe the blood off her shoulder. Which made her think of Malik's threat to make an example out of Kaiba. "Kaiba, wait!" she called after him, realizing she was going to hate herself in the morning for doing this. "Malik's going to kill you." She gritted her teeth, mentally cursing herself for telling him that. She should have just let Malik do his business and get rid of the bastard. Now he had fair warning about what was going to happen. 

Kaiba stopped but he didn't turn around. Isis wished he would have so that she could have seen his reaction, that was, if he had one. "Woman are so weak. You show them one tiny speck of kindness and they completely break," he said, barely loud enough for her to hear before walking off. 

"Stupid bastard," she muttered, sitting down on a nearby bench. She looked up at the stars in the night sky, going about their carefree dance. They never had a thing to worry about. "I should have killed him when I had the chance," she said, lowering her head to stare at the ground. If she hesitated to kill Seto Kaiba, a man she had thought she hated until recently, how was she supposed to kill her brother whom she had loved almost her entire life. She just didn't know anymore. 

One thing was for sure, she would have to tell Yuugi what had happened with her brother. Regardless of who Malik said he was going to make an example out of, Yuugi had to know that Malik was going to kill someone he knew and possibly care about. 

Despite the late hour, she decided now was the time to tell him. For all she knew, Malik could already be on the move. All the more reason for her to hurry up and get there. The streets were eerily deserted as she rushed down the sidewalks, giving her an odd feeling of insecurity. In her mind, no one should be out this late at night unless there was an emergency, they were out of their minds, or they were hunters. The latter was what worried her the most. She had grown up around the hunters Malik now employed and she was well aware of what they were capable of. 

Thinking about why people would be out this late lead her thoughts back to Kaiba. Why the hell had he been out there? He should have been at home, being pampered by his thousands of servants until he feel asleep. She shook her head; it was too disturbing to think about and she was nearing Yuugi's front door. 

She hesitated for a moment before knocking, wondering how he would react to finding her on his doorstep at this hour. Which lead her to thinking about how Kaiba would react if she would show up on his front doorstep. Damn, she had to stop thinking about him. 

She knocked three times, hoping to get a quick response. On the plus side, any relative of Yuugi's that opened the door would probably let her in instantly upon seeing her condition and ask questions later. At least she managed to get the blood off her arm though there was still a nasty looking cut there. That couldn't be helped, not at the moment anyway. 

She knocked again, growing slightly impatient, wanting to get this over with so she could find her way into a nice warm bed. The door opened a crack before proceeding to open all the way. "Oh my, you poor thing, come inside," said an elderly man that looked vaguely like Yuugi, gesturing for her to come inside. Isis was only too happy to do so, letting him lead her to a couch which she gratefully sat down on. "Can I get you something? Perhaps some tea?"

"Actually, I'm here to see Yuugi but some tea would be nice," she said, careful not to let too much emotion creep into her voice. 

The man nodded and Isis watched idly while he went up the stairs before turning her attention to her surroundings. The place was nice enough, at least it didn't have any evil auras flowing through it. It wasn't very long before the old man came back down. "They'll be down in a moment. I'll get you some tea," he said, hurrying off into what was presumably the kitchen. 

They? Isis had a fleeting suspicion that the old man was not talking about Yuugi's other half. She hated it when she was right; Jounouchi followed Yuugi down the steps. All she could think of was to curse the gods for making him be here on tonight of all nights. It was bad enough she had to admit her weakness to Yuugi but to admit it to Jounouchi as well would be sheer torture. Afterwards, she saw how utterly exhausted they both looked and almost pitied them. She had forgotten the hell Malik had put them through and how they had suffered just as much as she had if not more. She had nothing to be ashamed about around them. "Yuugi, Jounouchi," she greeted them softly. 

Both of them looked shocked to see her there then concern filled Yuugi's eyes. "Isis, you're hurt."

_'As if I don't know that,'_ she thought. She shrugged it off. "I'm all right." What she was feeling physically was nothing compared to what she was feeling emotionally. She was a mess, both inside and out, and she'd be the first to admit it. 

Yuugi came to sit next to her on the couch while Jounouchi remained standing. "What happened?"

That was the one problem Isis had with Yuugi; he was too damn concerned with other people for his own good. Still, it was kind of uplifting to have someone actually care about her even if that person cared about anything that crossed his path. If only Kaiba would have cared, things might be different. "I just went to talk to Malik." 

"That explains it," Yuugi said. He appeared to be deep in thought, as if he was talking to his other half. Well, at least she didn't have anything to worry about if his other half showed up unless she really really pissed him off, unlike Malik... "What did he have to say?"

She sighed and looked away. Despite the fact Malik had said Kaiba, he would be willing to kill any of them to prove his point. "He said he was going to make an example of Seto Kaiba by killing him, though personally, I wouldn't take anyone else off his hit list."

Yuugi nodded solemnly, knowing full well that Malik would say Kaiba just to get them off the scent of his real victim. Isis stole a quick look over at Jounouchi. He was revealing no emotion, none that she could read at any rate, so she decided to ignore him for the time being, focusing on Yuugi. "Any suggestions?"

She knew that he was going to ask her. No one knew besides Rashid knew Malik as well as she did, so she had a solution already prepared. The problem was, it was so simple, it was absurd. "Warn the others to keep a sharp lookout about them. If they keep their senses sharp, stay in at night, and take extra little precautions, they should be able to stay out of his grasp. If they sense danger, run. Malik won't risk an attack with other people around, it's not his style." It was the only thing they could do at the moment. Theoretically, turning Malik into the hunted was the best solution but it was also suicidal. None of them could ever hope to best Malik's tougher hunters. 

"We'll tell them in the morning," Yuugi told her, relieving her to no end. Perhaps his other half was helping him to see the sense in her words or maybe he was just too tired to argue with her. Either way... "I do have one problem. What about Kaiba?"

_'What about Kaiba indeed?'_ She knew he wasn't going to listen to her warning. That much had been made perfectly clear earlier. 

"Even if we tell him, the bastard won't listen," Jounouchi said, joining their conversation for the first time. Isis looked over at him and quickly looked away. Something else was wrong, something Jounouchi didn't want to think about that was the whole reason as to why he was here. Isis tried to ignore it, she didn't want to get more involved then she had to. 

Yuugi got that timeless look in his eyes that Isis now recognized as him conferring with his other half. "Isis, you know Malik and his hunters better than anyone. There's a high chance that his next target is Kaiba. I hate to ask you this but do you think you could watch over him?"

Isis was shocked to say the least; she never expected to be asked to become Kaiba's babysitter. She quickly thought it through. On the negative side, she would have to watch Kaiba 24/7. On the plus side, if she actually managed to save him, he might stop being such a bastard all the time. By Ra, what was she thinking? The chance of Kaiba stopping being a bastard was about the equivalent of that of a snowball's chance in hell. She must be delusional. Then again, she might be able to gather some dirt to use against him. "I guess I have no choice." 

"Thank you very much," he said, right before the old man reentered the room, carrying a tray in front of him. "Grandpa, thanks for letting her in. This is Isthar Isis."

So this was Yuugi's grandfather; that explained the resemblance. "Thank you for your kindness," she said, bowing her head towards him.

"You're quite welcome, Isis." He put the tray down and handed her a cup which she took gratefully, allowing the warmth to seep through her, not realizing until that moment how cold she had been. "Yuugi, why is she here? The poor woman looks as if she's been dragged through the fires of hell. Is it the same as Jounouchi?" Isis heard the old man whisper, obviously trying not to draw attention to their conversation. 

"Sort of," Yuugi said hesitantly. Isis didn't even bother wondering what that was all about, she was having enough problems trying to keep her eyes open. 

"Here I am chattering along while she's falling asleep. Yuugi, why don't you let her have your room for the night? I'm sure you and Jounouchi can make yourselves comfortable down here."

"I'll show you the way," Yuugi said, grabbing her hand and half-dragging her to the bottom of the stairs.

"I wouldn't want to impose," she managed to get out, feeling very much the stranger and very uncomfortable. Then again, the prospect of walking back to her hotel didn't seem to be a welcome idea. 

"Relax, make yourself comfortable." Yuugi lead her up the stairs, stopping at the second doorway. "Goodnight, Isis. I hope you're feeling better in the morning." He went back down the stairs with a little too much energy for her taste to rejoin his grandfather and Jounouchi. 

She sighed as she opened the door, figuring she might as well make use of the invitation. It was a long walk back and she wasn't sure she could make it without falling asleep somewhere along the way. 

She didn't bother to turn on the light, figuring she would use the light of the moon to guide her. Big mistake, she cursed as she stubbed her toe against something. Wincing, she was determined to make it the rest of the way without incident. She was already going to feel like shit tomorrow and she didn't need to make it any worse. Once there, she quickly made herself comfortable and fell asleep within moments. 

&-&-&-&

At first, she wasn't quite sure what had woken her up hours later. Then again, she wasn't sure where she was either. She had sat up quickly in bed when she first heard the noise, old instincts from living with Malik springing to the surface. When her brain finally registered that she was at Yuugi's house and not with Malik she relaxed considerably. She closed her eyes, concentrating on the noise that had woken her up in the first place. 

The sound was very faint, a whimpering sound that Malik's victims sometimes made when he pushed them to far. Her initial reaction explained, Isis wondered if she should investigate the noise. It was definitely the sound that haunted so many of her nightmares, the sound of someone whimpering in extreme pain and fear. She could not just sit up here and do nothing, not when Yuugi or Jounouchi could be in danger.

So, against her better judgment, she made her way carefully towards the door, following the sound which not surprisingly was coming from downstairs. She padded softly down the hall, knowing it wouldn't do any good if someone was actually down there and they heard her coming. Thankfully, the house was set up so she could stay hidden at the top of the stairs and still have a view of the entire living room. 

She noticed Yuugi and Jounouchi had both staked out spots on the couch. It didn't take her long to figure out the noises were coming from Jounouchi who was apparently having some type of nightmare. He kept whimpering in pain and thrashing about while Yuugi was trying to wake him. From where, she was she could barely make out what Yuugi was saying. "Jounouchi, wake up." All the while she noticed he was gently shaking Jounouchi's shoulder. Something he did must have gotten through to him. The blonde boy woke up and looked at Yuugi as if he had never seen him before. "Jounouchi, it's me."

"Yuugi," Jounouchi said so softly Isis wasn't sure if he actually said it or she was hearing things. She didn't fail to notice the tears in his brown eyes. "Yuugi," he said again, pulling the smaller boy into a close embrace. 

"It's okay, Jounouchi. I'm here." 

Isis turned back down the hallway; it really wasn't any of her business. She was envious of Jounouchi; he had Yuugi there to comfort him. She had never been comforted during a nightmare, whether imaginary or real. Even now, during her worst nightmare, there was no one there to hold her and tell her everything was okay. She felt the tears rolling down her cheeks as she crawled into Yuugi's bed. _'Am I as unfeeling as Seto Kaiba that nobody wants to be close to me?'_

Her only comforted as she drifted off to sleep was the fact that she wasn't alone. Seto Kaiba was just as alone as she was in this world. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Cry - Chapter 3**

Disclaimer: Hmm... let me see. I still only have five cents to my name so I think it's safe to say I still don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or any characters affiliated with it. 

&-&-&-&

Staring out the window, Isis sat on Yuugi's bed with her knees hugged close to her chest. There were so many things going on anymore, with Malik poised to kill anyone at will, Jounouchi's unexplained visit to Yuugi's house, and most importantly, her conflicting feelings for Seto. How was she supposed to concentrate on anything else when that was first on her mind?

He was incredibly good-looking, she would admit that. Damn it, she thought he was fine. Still, he was a complete bastard who cared about nothing but himself. _'That's not true,'_ that little voice in the back of her mind told her. Damn it, she didn't need this! There were more important things she needed to solve before her conflicting emotions about Seto. 

Like who Malik's victim was going to be for one. She knew him best; she was the only one would stood a chance of figuring out who was going to be first. 

She started with the obvious, Anzu. That would hurt Yuugi where it really counted. Maybe it was a little too obvious. That was what everyone would be expecting, considering she was the weakest. No, it was safe to rule Anzu out for the time being. 

The next obvious choice would be Jounouchi. She was _fairly _sure they weren't lovers, but they did seem very, very close. Poor Yuugi would be devastated if something happened to Jounouchi. And there was something else haunting Jounouchi, something that had nothing to do with her brother. Something that made him extremely venerable. 

Then there was Seto Kaiba, the one Malik had actually named as his victim. She wasn't exactly sure how Yuugi would handle the death of his ancient enemy. Knowing Yuugi he would probably be upset at the loss of life and he may even get a little ticked. Furthermore, Malik didn't seem to like Seto in the first place. Their personalities clashed too much or something like that. Which made Seto a prime target, just so Malik could get his satisfaction of never having to worry about running into the rich bastard again. 

Yuugi's other friends didn't seem like prime targets. Malik had nothing personal against the rest of them and Yuugi would be most upset at the loss of Anzu or Jounouchi. Okay, so she had narrowed it down to either Jounouchi or Seto. Great, and she had agreed to 'baby-sit' the one because he was too proud to take the advice of others. Well, she couldn't back out of it now. Yuugi needed her help, and he was the only one who could stop Malik and end the loss of life. She wasn't about to sit by and watch him handle it all be himself. She would help anyway she could, even if that meant making sure Seto didn't get himself killed. Besides, she still felt the pain of those Malik had left behind every time he killed someone. She still remembered the look on that little girl's face right before Malik got to her. No witnesses outside of the Hunters...

She made herself think about what had to be done know and allowed herself a small smile. At the very least, she would get the chance to see what Seto's personal life was like. He had always been such a mystery to her and she found it rather intriguing. It would be interesting to find out what a guy like that did in his spare time and what his family life was like. She would get the chance to find out. 

Isis stretched as she got out of bed. It was time she started on her job before Malik got much of a head start. Yuugi's room was surprisingly clean, except for the book bag she had stubbed her toe on the night before. It looked like it was possibly Jounouchi's. Hell, what was the point of wondering? Because she was worried about him, both of them actually. They had enough to worry about with Malik on the loose. Now she was discovering their was something else haunting Jounouchi, and Yuugi had gotten himself involved. Not good. 

She made her way downstairs slowly, not wanting to disturb Yuugi and Jounouchi if they were still asleep. She didn't have anything to worry about. They had been sitting on the couch talking quietly before she went downstairs. The conversation stopped as soon as Jounouchi saw her and she hadn't heard a word of what they were talking about. "Morning, Isis," Yuugi greeted her cheerfully.

"Good morning, Yuugi, Jounouchi," she responded, sitting down in the armchair. Yuugi smiled at her and Jounouchi nodded at her in acknowledgement. Strange, how he hadn't been talking to her much. He wasn't normally so silent and reserved. Perhaps something had happened, something that had been at the source of those nightmares. He had spent some time in Malik's captivity though she doubted that had anything to do with his current mood. 

"My Grandpa made breakfast before he opened up the shop this morning. Would you like some?" Yuugi offered. She nodded and Yuugi disappeared into the kitchen, leaving her alone with Jounouchi. For the most part, he ignored her, which was fine by her. She didn't want anyone's pity at the moment and he looked like he wasn't willing to receive any of hers. And if last night was any indication, he needed some pity right about now. 

Isis watched him out of the corner of her eye as he stood up as he made his way over to the window. Walking wasn't the way to describe what he was doing, though he was trying damn hard to give that appearance. He was favoring his left leg far too much for her taste. She really shouldn't worry about it, though it was hard not to. If there was something wrong with him he could go to the hospital and if not, Yuugi would force him to go. 

Speaking of Yuugi, where was he? He was starting to take a long time. Her mind was starting to wander back to her meetings with Seto and that was not the kind of distraction right now. 

Yuugi came back into the room, setting a tray down in front of her. "Sorry, it took so long," he said apologetically. "I-Jounouchi-kun!" Isis pretended not to pay any attention as he went rushing over to his friend's side. "Jounouchi-kun, you really shouldn't be walking around," Yuugi said, his voice full of concern. 

"I'm fine, Yuugi, really," he insisted. Isis tuned out the rest of the conversation, turning her full attention to her breakfast. Now that she knew Yuugi would take care of Jounouchi, she could concentrate on more important things, mainly food. She couldn't remember when the last time she ate was and she just now realized how hungry she was. 

She easily finished off her breakfast and when she did she noticed that Yuugi and Jounouchi had resumed their places on the couch. Jounouchi was giving her a look like he had wanted to help her finish her breakfast and she had just ruined all his plans. Tough, he would live. "Thank you, Yuugi." 

He blushed slightly. "I was just trying to help out," he said modestly, placing a hand behind his head. "Good luck with Kaiba."

"You're going to need it," Jounouchi muttered. Yuugi shot him a look. 

"We've called everyone else already," Yuugi continued, "except for Bakura."

"There's not much chance of that happening," Isis admitted thoughtfully. In fact, on Malik's list of people in the world to kill, Bakura was probably next to last on his last, right before himself. 

"Yuugi nodded in agreement. "That's what I thought." 

Isis sighed as she stood up. "I should be going. Seto's too stupid to watch out for himself. Bye, Yuugi, Jounouchi," she called as she walked out the door. 

"Goodbye, Isis!" Yuugi called, just before the door swung shut. 

"Why does she call him Seto?" Jounouchi asked after she had left. Yuugi just shrugged. 

&-&-&-&

Isis decided the first place to look for Seto would be inside his mansion, considering it was still to early for him to be at work. First things first, getting on the grounds. Somebody was obviously concerned with security. Or at least they wanted to give that pretense. However, she wondered how secure the place really was when there was a tree growing right outside the wall. A tree that was very easy to climb, even for her. 

She was inside the wall within a matter of minutes. Damn, if everything was going to be this easy, Seto didn't stand a chance against anyone who wanted to kill him. She couldn't help but wonder if the lack of security was just an oversight on his part or the deliberate action of someone else. Or maybe _someone _was just a little too cocky. Even still, wouldn't the place be more secure for Mokuba's sake? 

She made her way across the lawn and without incident. This was just getting strange. She had made it all the way to the front door without having any problems. And once there, she realized the security system was turned off. Why have a high-tech security system if you weren't even going to use it? Things were just a little weird. Perhaps Seto was too cocky to realize someone might come and kill him. 

What was even more surprising was when she tested the front door she found it was unlocked. Interesting. Did he want unexpected visitors? She made her way inside, closing the door behind her still expecting some high-tech security system to activate. Still nothing happened as she made her way through the entrance. Since she was inside she might as well figure out the layout of the place a bit. It was huge and she had no idea where to start looking for Seto at. What if she was too late and something had already happened to him and that was the reason for the lack of security? What if she was the second person to sneak in that morning? What if the hunter was still there? 

She shuddered at the thought. Whoever it was would report to Malik that she was there and he would start asking questions. Then what happened if he decided she couldn't be trusted and was expendable? She meet the same fate as many others had, and he would still be loose. She wouldn't let that happen. 

She put her hand on the railing as she made her way up the grand stairs on the other end of the hallway going mainly on instinct. Funny how she was relying on instinct to find Seto, almost as if she had a connection with him. She laughed lightly. It was so silly. She stopped at the top of the stairs and looked back down to the entrance room. The house was huge with beautiful architecture. She wouldn't mind living in a house like this someday. First, she'd have to find herself a rich husband. 

She trusted her instinct and went to the left with a feeling inside that Seto was somewhere in that general direction. The house was a maze, and she soon lost track of where she was. She realized why he could be so cocky with security. If any assassin got inside at night, it would be morning by the time he finally found his way to Seto's room and everyone would be up. The mission would have failed. Maybe it wasn't that bad but she still felt helplessly lost. She would have to find him now, or she might never find her way out of the house again!

Finally she turned down a hallway that she was certain contained Seto's room. The last door in the hallway was slightly opened and she made her way silently towards it like a cat. There were some advantages to have grown up with the hunters. She paused outside the door, indecisive as to what she wanted to do. Did she really want to see him again? She had promised Yuugi that she would make sure he didn't do anything stupid. But what if she looked into his room only to find out that she had gotten there too late? Would she ever be able to forgive herself? In a way, she always felt responsible for every death that Malik caused. Like she should have done something more to prevent it. It was all her fault he got that damn rod in the first place. 

She was going to have to check on him sometime. She certainly couldn't stand outside his room all day. What happened when Mokuba or someone else came looking for him? She would be caught and that was the end of that. And if she was too late, his death would be blamed on her. 

She peered around the corner cautiously, half expecting to see one of Malik's hunters standing in there. Everything appeared to be perfectly normally. Of course, things weren't always what they seemed. The lazy bastard was still asleep; she could see his breathing through the sheets. So, she had panicked for nothing. She leaned up against the doorway, watching him. He didn't seem like such a heartless bastard when he was asleep; in fact, he had the innocence about him of a young boy. 

She carefully made her way into his room, realizing there would be some major problems if he woke up and he saw her there. She could see it now. _'Yes, Seto, I broke into your house and into your room to keep anyone else from killing you.'_ Yeah, right. Like anyone would ever buy that excuse. Especially him, Mr. I-know-all. She could see where Malik was coming from in his desire to kill him. 

As she got closer to his bed, she saw that things weren't as peaceful as she had first thought they were. He seemed to be locked in a nightmare and if things kept up, he would be awake soon. It kind of reminded of her of Jounouchi when he had been having his nightmare the night before. Strange, how the two of them would have similar nightmares. They were totally different people. He didn't seem to be bothered by the nightmare when she got closer. Good for him, that meant she could investigate a little before he woke. 

There was a picture of Mokuba on the nightstand next to bed and she picked it up. She smiled as she put it back down. Seto's brother meant so much to him. Seto made a noise in his sleep and rolled over. She jumped slightly thinking he may have woken up but after a few moments she realized he was still sound asleep. She knelt down next to his bed, studying him carefully. Maybe if things wouldn't be so hectic, she might have actually had the chance to sort her feelings out about him. Right now, he was sleeping so peacefully she could easily forget how much of a bastard he was at times. She rubbed his bangs off his eyes gently, leaning closer to him. If only things could be different. 

A cold breeze caused her to look up. The door to the balcony had been shut when she went in there. Over Seto's shoulder she could just barely make out the shape of one of Malik's hunters making his way inside. She bit her lower lip. Seto could defend himself if he was awake, and the hunter might even leave if he thought Seto wasn't easy enough prey. She recognized the hunter as one that would only kill people while they were sleeping. She did the only thing she could do. She slapped him hard before ducking underneath his bed. It wouldn't do any good for him to find her there now. 

From her vantage point, she saw the hunter disappear off the balcony. Apparently Seto had woken up. She really didn't understand why Malik still kept that wimp in his employment. She heard a few muffled curses from Seto and saw his bare feet come in contact with the floor a few feet from her face. Thank god he had a large bed. She saw him walk over to the door and close it, muttering something about the "damn wind." If she had ever wondered before what he looked like without a shirt on, she didn't have to wonder anymore. She watched as he made his way around the room, careful not to make any noise. Damn, that would be difficult to explain. 

She watched as he made his way into the adjacent bathroom and shortly she could hear the sound of running water. She glanced towards the door, wondering if she could make it out. Before she could make up her mind, a cold draft on her back made her glance back towards the balcony. Malik's hunter was back, apparently searching for whatever it was that had woken Seto up. He would need a reason for his failure. She watched with growing apprehension as he made his way one step at a time towards Seto's bed. The instant he looked under it, it was all over for her. He would take her back to Malik with him, and the gods only knew what would happen to her after that though she had a sneaking suspicion that wasn't too pleasant. She flinched and looked away as the boots stopped right in front of the bed. He was so close, she could smell his awful scent. It was all over; once again she had failed to do anything about Malik, and this may well have been her last chance. 

The sound of running water stopped and the boots quickly disappeared. Isis breathed a sigh of relief. At least he wasn't going to take any chances of being caught. Which meant she was safe for now. Seto came out of his bathroom, dripping wet and wearing nothing but a towel around his waist. Damn, he was fine. And she was going to be dead if he ever found out that she had been down there. She averted her eyes as he got dressed, forcing herself to think about something, anything else. She hadn't thought about the possibility of this happening when she had signed up for this job. Maybe Jounouchi should do it. On second thought, Jounouchi would probably kill Seto himself instead of waiting around for one of Malik's hunters to do it. 

After he was fully clothed he sat back down on the edge of his bed. He had good taste in shoes she decided as she watched him put them on. Well, there was nothing wrong with her watching him put on his shoes was there? Besides, it took her mind off of other disturbing things. There was a soft knock on the door and she froze, hoping it was Mokuba and not some cleaning lady. She didn't need to be found by the servants either. They would alert Seto to her presence. It was Mokuba who came in the room. "Seto, you should be going to work," she heard him say. 

Seto said something in response but she couldn't quite hear what it was. He had obviously agreed with Mokuba because he left the room with his younger brother. They closed the door behind them and she waited a few minutes before crawling out from underneath Seto's bed. She fervently wished she wouldn't be spending much time underneath there. It was a little bit dusty and her nose itched. She was definitely going to find a spare room to sleep in somewhere near by. She had every intention of following Seto to work; more than likely, he wasn't safe there either. She made her way to the door, placing her hand on the knob and froze. Someone was watching her. She turned her head slowly to look back towards the balcony. Malik's hunter was standing there, watching her with his cold blue eyes. She blinked and he disappeared, but she knew better to think it had just been a figment of her imagination. Malik's hunter had seen her there. Now the fun would really begin, depending on whether or not Malik believed his hunter's report. 

&-&-&-&

Thankfully, since the building wasn't that far, Seto walked to work and it was easy for her to follow him. Once or twice, he looked behind him but it had been easy for her to find cover. If he was really that paranoid, why the lack of security at his mansion. Nothing seemed to make sense anymore when it came to Seto Kaiba. At least security at the company was better. A little too good since she couldn't even get inside. Well, at least none of the hunters would be able to get inside either so he was safe until he decided to go home. Which meant she would have to wait for him. It quickly became extremely boring. 

At around noon, she went to get herself some lunch. It was probably the single most exciting thing she did the entire time she did while waiting for him and all she got was a sandwich. So exciting. The guards at the gate kept giving her funny looks but she ignored them. Let them think a little bit, it might actually do them some good. A few hours later, Mokuba came by and the guards let him through without question. She wondered if that meant Seto was leaving soon. It couldn't have come early enough. She was not looking forward to doing this every day.

A few minutes later, Mokuba emerged from the building, his big brother following behind him. She followed them down the street, too far behind to hear what they were talking about. One thing was for sure, they weren't going back to the Kaiba mansion. They were going the wrong way for that. They made their way into the forest reserve, a place Mokuba apparently wanted to go. The trees grew close together and it was getting more difficult for her to follow them. A noise in the trees caused her to look up and she realized she no longer was the only one following the brothers.

~Please review~


	4. Chapter 4

 Cry  

Chapter 4 

Authoress' Notes: Sorry about the short chapter, but I've been under a really tight schedule lately with evaluations coming up and building a website for my graduation project. Besides, you all wanted an update so here it is. Note, we are still short of extremely fluffy Seto/Isis stuff. To whosoever told me to make it Malik following them, thank you for the suggestion but that would make the story over too quickly. I still have many more plans for them. As someone said it before: "May the Queen of short chapters reign!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Curse the stupid bastard for wandering off like that. Maybe if he had stayed where he could be safe, they wouldn't be in this mess right now. Well, there was no point in thinking about how things could have been when there was no way in hell things would ever be that way. Seto was too damn stubborn to ever change his ways. Isis' mind raced, desperately trying to find a solution to the dangerous situation the Kaiba brothers were in. 

For now, all she could do was keep track of Malik's hunter, hoping he didn't get to them before she had a chance to figure things out. The thing was, she didn't think Seto would be happy to see her again. Furthermore, there was little chance he would believe her if she told him anything and she already had a negative reputation with Mokuba. The hunter was somewhere off to her right, stealthily stalking them. She couldn't let anything happen to either of them. If something did, she would be responsible. She never should have taken Malik out that day; every death he caused was indirectly all her fault. 

She reached down and grabbed her dagger, mainly to reassure herself that it was still there. Malik was not going to kill anyone else, not on her watch. With a firm resolve, she realized it was time to turn the hunter into the hunted. She changed her course, now following the hunter instead of Seto. Whether he noticed it or not, he gave no sign. Well, it was better for her if he didn't realize she was following him. Her breath quickened as she followed him, expecting him to make his move at any moment. Then it would be all over and there would be two more deaths on her hands. She could tell they were getting closer, for now she could catch little snippets of their conversation. Mainly all she heard was Mokuba's voice. The hunter would make his move soon, and she was going to have to stop him. 

Not for the first time, she wished somebody else had taken this job. But she supposed everyone else had to take care of themselves. Besides, she wasn't the only one with double duty. She had no doubt that Yuugi would be taking especially good care of Jounouchi. What she needed now was a distraction, and a damn good one at that. Why the hell did Mokuba have to go on a nature walk of today on all days?

She stepped over a tree root, completely focused on the problem at hand, knowing she would at least have to find a way to slow the hunter down. _"Damn nature," _she thought as she tripped over a different tree root. Though nature was going to have to help her if she wanted to have any chance at succeeding. Perhaps nature could help her in providing a distraction. 

She carefully studied her surroundings, taking in everything: the birds chirping overhead, the numerous tress growing around, the odd root poking up, the three deer contently grazing to her right… That would work. They may be small, but given the proper motivation they could give her the distraction she needed. She was used to using animals to create distractions, though the animals she generally worked with were at least five times the size of these things. However, she still hoped they would work. 

She checked to judge how close the hunter was to his unsuspecting victims and how much time she had to execute her distraction. She quickly changed course, circling around to approach the deer from the other side. She hoped she had judged the time correctly. The deer regarded her approach as simply a part of everyday life, and after glancing at her only briefly, went back to grazing. Isis knelt down beside the nearest one. "I hope this works," she muttered, wondering what had happened to her that she ended up putting all her faith in a stupid little deer. 

The deer flicked its ears back in response, ignoring her for the most part. It wasn't like she really expected a wild animal to be one hundred percent agreeable with her. The problem was, they were not afraid of her, and she had to get them moving in the right direction. She didn't know what got them started. One instant they were contently grazing beside her, the nexx5t there was a faint rustle in the bushes behind her and she had to follow the deer before getting a chance to investigate. At least the little things had decided to run in the right direction.

Things couldn't have gone better. The hunter never knew what hit him as the deer went running past, knocking him off his feet. Isis tried not to laugh as the little deer continued on their way, knocking Seto Kaiba on his ass. He turned around indignantly and Isis quickly stepped behind the nearest tree. However, Malik's hunter was not fast enough and became the only source for Lord Kaiba to vent his anger on. "Who the hell are you?"

From where she was, Isis couldn't see what was happening, but she did hear Malik's hunter mumbling some pathetic response. Well, his plans had certainly been ruined, now hadn't they? Too late she realized the hunter was heading in the direction he had come from, right past her. He stopped, glaring at her out of the corner of his eye, probably already forming his report. "Isis…"

She stared impassively back at him, not really worried too much about what was going to happen. So what if he told Malik he saw her there? Malik would require a few explanations from her later on and it would be quite easy to lie to him. She had done it before. "What the hell are you still doing here?" she heard Seto growl.

"None of your business!" the hunter snapped back, pulling his hood up. "Isis… You can be sure Malik-sama will hear about this and he won't be happy."

She heard the sound of approaching footsteps, crunching over dry twigs and then Seto came into her line of vision. "I thought I told you to get the hell out of here." She wondered if Seto knew exactly who he was protecting and figured if he did, he would have just sat back and enjoyed the show. "So stop traumatizing everything around you and crawl back into whatever filthy hole it was you came from." Isis tried not to be offended, seeing as to how she used to live in the "filthy hole." Then again, she also realized she was a lot happier here than she had ever been in Egypt. There were two or three people worth staying by, and another one that she wasn't so sure about. "You should learn to judge your friends better," he said, without turning around, "Isis."

He was certainly full of surprises now wasn't he? Wondering whether or not she had died and just didn't know about it, she watched him walk away, certain he was wearing that familiar smug expression. Maybe one day it might just make an interesting story, but at the moment she just found it god damn annoying. Why the hell had he done that? She realized everyday she was discovering she knew less and less about him, and that she really didn't understand him at all. "At least he hasn't gotten himself killed yet," she muttered as she started following them once again. 

~ I'm so sorry for this horribly short chapter. But please review anyway and next chapter I promise to make it up to you by writing some Seto/Isis fluff. Is that a deal?


	5. Chapter 5

Cry ~ Chapter 5

Isis leaned back against a tree in the Kaiba front yard, watching as the two brothers made their way inside the gigantic mansion. The day had felt so long, and Isis had the strangest suspicion that it was just going to be the first of many. Still, she was comforted by the fact she had kept the Kaiba's safe, though she worried about the rest of Yuugi's friends. Especially Jounouchi. Oh, she knew perfectly well that he had the nine lives of a cat, despite Seto's claims he resembled a dog, and that Yuugi would be keeping an extra close eye on him. She frowned; even cats under the best protection ran out of luck eventually. 

"Excuse me, miss," a woman politely said, approaching her from the direction of the house. Shit, she had been too lost in thought to remember to keep a lookout. From now one, all her thoughts would just have to be centered on Seto. She had a distinct feeling his over-inflated ego would swell even more if he knew that little tidbit of information. She watched the woman approach, briefly toying with the idea of fleeing. Of course, that action would make her seem guilty of something so she discarded the thought. The woman came to stand beside her and Isis watched her carefully. "Excuse me, miss, but are you lost?"

"No," Isis began, gesturing towards the gate. "I was just…" She couldn't find a way to finish her sentence, at least not one that would make sense.

"Well, then, would you like to join us for dinner?" the woman asked kindly, gesturing to the door.

Isis blinked at the woman in disbelief for a few seconds, not sure how to handle the current situation. "I really shouldn't… I mean, I wouldn't want to impose…"

"Nonsense. It's not a problem at all." The woman leaned closer to her and added, "Besides, it will be nice to see a female face at that table."

Isis smirked, wondering about the implications of that woman's statement. "What? Almighty Seto can't seem to get himself a girlfriend?"

"See, you already know Mister Kaiba well enough already." She grabbed hold of Isis' hand and she had no choice but to follow the woman as she was half-dragged towards the Kaiba's front door. "Come along, dear. Don't be shy."

Isis couldn't voice her protest as she struggled to keep up with the overly strong and fast woman. She knew Seto wasn't going to be happy but it wasn't like it was her fault. She had tried to walk away; however, the woman had been too persistent. At least Isis didn't have to worry about getting lost this time. The woman placed her hands on Isis' lower back, gently shoving through an open door. In that room she was greeted with the sight of the Kaiba brothers, sitting down and apparently waiting for their dinner. Seto glared at her, angrily standing up and throwing down his napkin. "Exactly what the hell are you doing here?"

"She invited me," Isis told him, pointing to the woman who had just come bustling through the door. 

The woman patted her lightly on the arm. "Why don't you go sit across from Mokuba?" Which essentially meant next to Seto.

She made her way across the room, ignoring the death glare that followed her. She sat down, smiling at Mokuba who scowled at her in response. Well, that made two Kaiba's that disliked her then. "Cecile," Seto said coldly, "what do you think you're doing?"

Isis wanted to applaud Cecile for matching Seto's death-glare the way she did. "Sit down, Mister Kaiba. The young lady is going to be our guest for this evening and if you don't like it you can deal without me because I'll quit." Seto sat down in a huff and Isis could have sworn Cecile smirked before she left the room.

There were a few brief moments of silence in which Seto glared at his napkin, Isis looked around the room, and Mokuba scowled at her. Seeing Seto stare at his napkin gave Isis the courage to ask the question that had been bothering her for quite some time now and she had never discovered the answer. "Now, do they send rich boys off to school where they learn to throw their napkins down like that or is it just an in-born habit?" Seto turned his death-glare on her and she immediately looked the other way. "I was just trying to make conversation," she mumbled.

Cecile came back into the room, peering around the door and frowning at Seto. "Mister Kaiba, you better be nice to the young lady or I'll bring my niece back for another visit," she threatened before disappearing back into the kitchen.

He cringed and Isis was amazed at how quickly he turned his attention to her. Damn, it made her wonder what that niece was like. "How was your day, Miss Ishtar?"

She studied his eyes for a few moments, wondering if he really was being serious. "Terribly boring. I had to follow you around all day."

He scowled. "No you didn't," he shot back.

Isis thought of how much he resembled a spoiled little kid at the moment. That thought made it extremely difficult not to laugh. "Yes, I did."

"Why?" he snapped angrily as Mokuba watched the two of them with a bemused expression.

"Because Yuugi asked me to," she told him matter-of-factly.

"Do you always do everything Yuugi asks you?"

Thankfully, Cecile chose that exact moment to come back into the room, followed by servants carrying their dinner on large trays. She smiled at Isis as the plates were placed before them. "You're still here and he has not yet been horribly maimed. He must really like you."

"I do not," Seto said sullenly, glancing in Cecile's direction.

"Be quiet and eat your dinner, Mister Kaiba." Isis smirked, glad that there was at least one person in the world who could keep Lord Seto Kaiba in line. It was amazing to her that he actually kept Cecile on his staff though she figured he had his reasons. "Try not to let him bother you, miss," Cecile said before leaving the room. 

Isis looked down at her plate as Mokuba and Seto started eating. Suddenly, she lost her appetite. Grayish substances didn't appeal to her. "Excuse me, what is this?" she asked Seto, pointing down at her plate. 

"How the hell should I know?" Seto grumbled in response. "I don't know what they make. I just eat it."

Isis took one last critical look at the gray substance before pushing it aside. The fact that Seto and Mokuba were eating it did little to connive her. Mokuba was more than likely a human garbage disposal and Seto probably wasn't even paying attention to what he was eating. She turned to look out the window, watching as the dark clouds rolled in, rain started to drizzle, and finally turning into an all-out downpour complete with thunder and lightning. Wonderful, and she had to walk back to her hotel in that weather. No one seemed to comment on her lack of eating as they came to collect the plates.

Cecile came back into the room, clasping her hands together. "Amazing, you actually lasted thought an entire dinner with him. I'm impressed, Miss Ishtar." Isis flushed with pride; it had been a long time since she had impressed anyone. "Do you have somewhere you can stay for the night?"

"Actually, I was going to walk back to my hotel," she said, cringing at a loud crash of thunder.

"Nonsense, I won't let you go in this weather." Cecile paused for a moment and Isis wondered what she was plotting. "You'll be staying here for the night." Seto looked like he was dying to protest but settled with gracing Isis with his death-glare. Well, it wasn't like she had been asking for this arrangement. "Come along, Miss Ishtar. I'll show you to your room." Isis stood up, staying as far away from the Kaiba's as she could as she crossed the room to stand next to Cecile. "Seto, Mokuba, aren't you two going to say goodnight?"

"Goodnight, Isis," Mokuba said grudgingly.

"Get lost, bitch," Seto mumbled, barely glancing in her direction.

"Seto!" Cecile scolded, placing her hands on her hips. "And you wonder why we don't have more visitors."

"Goodnight, Isis," he grumbled so incoherently that Isis began to wonder if he actually said words or if he had just made some noise to placate Cecile.

"I'm afraid that's the best you're going to get out of him," Cecile told her, guiding her out of the room. "Actually, this is the most decent he's acted in front of a lady. Between you and me, I think he likes you," she whispered as she led her upstairs. Seto Kaiba might actually like her? Yes, and at some point over the last few days, Hell had frozen completely over. Of course, several out of the ordinary things involving Seto had occurred recently. Cecile opened one of the doors, showing Isis inside. "You can stay here for the night. Goodnight, Miss Ishtar," she said, leaving Isis alone.

Isis sighed, moving over to sit down on the bed. At least this time she was invited and she wouldn't have to resort to hiding underneath the bed. There was so much going on and quite simply not enough time to sort it all out. Well, Seto was supposed to be her main concern and everyone else would just have to take care of themselves. Closing her eyes, she laid her head down on the pillow, swiftly drifting off into a peaceful slumber. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Seto went to his office shortly after Cecile had walked off with Isis, working late like he usually did. At about midnight, he decided he had done enough. He turned off the computer and lights, heading off in the direction of his bedroom. On the way there, he noticed someone had left the door to one of the guest's rooms open and naturally he felt the need to investigate. Of course, he should have known it was the room Cecile put Isis in. However, he didn't realize that until he was looking into the room and caught sight of her asleep on the bed.

He knew he should have left at that instant, yet instead he carefully and quietly made his way into the room. He was being stupid and he really couldn't figure out why. He wanted to punch himself for his weakness. She rolled to her side, a lock of hair falling across her nose. She wiggled her nose and Seto was afraid that at this rate she would wake up and see him there. In order to prevent that, he crossed the room, gently pushing her hair behind her ear. She sighed softly in her sleep and he smirked down at her. "Goodnight, Isis," he whispered softly before turning to the room. 

~ End of Chapter 5. Thanks to everyone who reviewed and has encouraged me to keep going so far… Keep it up and we'll get even more chapters. /wink, wink/ Remember, Seto/Isis forever and never let anyone tell you otherwise!


	6. I ran out of things to name the chapters

Cry – Chapter 6 

The sun filtered in through the windows, falling gently on Isis' delicate face.  She wrinkled her nose, slowly opening her eyes to stare out the window.  She was lying on her side, one hand placed flay on the pillow.  This time she was a welcome guest inside the Kaiba mansion and she was planning on enjoying it while she could.  The bed was so soft and so comfortable, and she had actually slept decently the previous night.  She covered her mouth with her hand as she yawned, watching a bird land on a branch outside.  Smiling, she watched the little yellow bird play on the branch for a few moments before it took flight again.

She stretched, rolling over to her back only to run into something solid at the edge of the bed.  She jumped, pulling the blanket up as she sat, closing her eyes and turning her head away.  "Seto, what the hell are you doing there?"

He was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking down at her.  "Good morning, Isis.  I brought you breakfast."  He placed a tray in front of her, and she looked skeptically at him, wondering if it had possibly been poisoned.  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a slight movement outside her door and the silhouette of a woman she met recently.  "What's wrong?  Aren't I allowed to do something nice for my guests?"

She turned her attention back to her breakfast, grinning broadly.  "Thank you, Seto.  But," she turned her attention back to him, "I don't think I can eat this all myself."  Honestly, did they think she was too skinny or something?  They had given her sausage, pancakes, bacon, five different types of eggs, toast, muffins, and waffles.  Along with around six different choices of drink.  "Besides, I'm a vegetarian," she muttered underneath her breath. 

"I tried to tell them that," she heard Seto say.  She turned towards him wide-eyed, wondering how he could have possibly known that.  He blushed, looking away from her.  "Really?  Because that's hardly an appetizer for Mokuba.  Anyway, I suppose I could help you."

"What did she threaten you with this time?" she asked.  She knew that was the reason why he was being so nice.  Seto Kaiba as never nice to anyone unless he had good reason to.

"She said she wouldn't have anyone do my laundry."  He folded his arms across his chest, pouting ever so slightly.  Isis struggled not to laugh at him and he leveled his infamous death glare on her.  "It's not funny."

"No, of course not.  Heaven forbid you should ever have to do your own laundry."  He continued to glower at her.  "Help yourself," she said, handing him the other fork that just happened to be sitting on the tray.  Cecile had really thought of everything, hadn't she?  Breakfast passed in relative silence, though Isis took note Seto did her the favor of eating the vast majority of the meat products and leaving the rest for her.  "Seto?" she ventured once the tray was nearly empty.  "How did you know I was a vegetarian?"

He looked up at her.  "Interesting.  I'll store that away in long-term memory."  He rolled his eyes.  "When are you going to learn I am not interested in your personal life?"

"Seto, you are avoiding the question," she said smugly.  "You said earlier you tried to tell the cooks that I was a vegetarian."

"You are delusional," he said, standing up.  "If you insist on protecting me, stay here for the day and teach my staff a few tricks in security," he said without looking at her.  "I don't need you following me around all the time."

With that statement, he left the room, leaving her alone with her thoughts.  Well, at least she had permissions to be there for the day.  The people at the hotel were probably beginning to wonder where she was.  At the very least she should go and retrieve her clothes.  Her current outfit was starting to smell slightly foul. Yes, getting changed was a very pleasant prospect, and maybe she could see how Yuugi was doing.  Then she could come back and see what was wrong with Seto's security.

She stretched as she stood up, wondering which way she should go to get out of this maze of a house.  She carefully treaded out into the hallway, looking to both sides for any sign of life.  "Cecile?" she called hopefully.  At least she was a familiar face guaranteed to help her out.  Of course with her luck there was no one there to answer her.  If she remembered correctly, they had turned left to get into her room so right she went.  "Hello?" she called again as she made her way slowly down the hall.  She found it odd in so large a house no one was in her immediate vicinity.  Besides, being alone in a silent, giant house was a bit creepy.  A low humming sound reached her ears and she stopped, looking around for the source.  The door to the right of her was slightly ajar and she discovered where the noise was coming from.  Somebody had left the computer on, and from the looks of things, she was in one of Seto Kaiba's offices.  She took another peek down the hallway and she still found no one.  With a shrug, she decided to go investigate.

She went over to the computer, sitting down in his large chair.  "Well, Seto Kaiba, shall we see what you've been getting yourself into?"  She justified reading his personal information with the thought 'he should have turned the computer off or at least password protected it.'  His fault, not hers.  She quickly scanned his most recent document, her eyes widening at the print.  "Oh, my dear, sweet Ra," she whispered.

"Lady Isis, were you looking for me?" she heard Cecile call from the hallway.  She quickly left the computer, trying to fight away her feelings of guilt.  He really should have protected his information better.  She stepped out of the room and was quickly greeted by Cecile. "There you are.  I thought I heard you calling for me.  Can I help you?"

"Actually, I was trying to find my way out of here."  She shrugged helplessly.  "Do you think you could help me?"

"Oh, nonsense.  You can stay here as long as you want.  Quite personally, I feel you could greatly improve Mister Kaiba's attitude.  I saw you two at breakfast this morning.  He was getting very friendly with you."  Seto was being friendly?  Well, he hadn't killed her and the worst he had done was call her delusional.  She supposed it was a slight improvement.  Then again, him not talking much may be considered a good thing for other people.  "Please don't leave yet.  I've never seen him so happy."

His attitude was classified as happy for him?  Wow, he must really be depressed the rest of the time.  "Actually, I was just planning on going to my hotel and getting my things.  I had every intention of returning in a few hours."

"Just tell me the name of the hotel and the room number, and I'll send someone right over to get them for you."

Isis was beginning to feel a little nervous.  Cecile really did not want her to leave.  "Can I take a walk then?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, dear.  You just think I'm trying to keep you prisoner.  Of course you may go for a walk."  She pulled a notebook and pen out of her apron pockets and handed them to Isis.  "Just write the information down and we'll send you on your way."  Isis nodded, writing the information down.  At least she wouldn't have to carry her things all the way back to Kaiba's mansion.  She handed the pad over to Cecile, trusting the woman to get everything for her.  "Thank you.  I'll show you to the door."

Cecile led Isis back downstairs and this time, Isis was careful to note where she was going.  At the door, she said her goodbyes, promising to be back within a few hours.

She did not know where she was going; Seto had made it perfectly clear she was not to follow him today or else he was going to five her hell.  Well, the sky was clear so she could spend plenty of time just wandering around.  Sometimes wandering around could bring about the best results.  After all, it was because of her aimless wandering that she had found Seto that day.  Furthermore, she had been wandering the first time she had ever hear the name "Kaiba."  At that moment, she had seen a vision and knew that Seto was the only one who could help her.  Too bad her vision did not tell her she would feel this way.  Visions never did show you the emotions involved.  She just wished she could understand how Seto felt about the entire situation.  He was not exactly the most open person in the world.

With a low sight, she brought her attention back to the current surroundings.  She saw Yuugi up ahead, pacing on the sidewalk and looking very disgruntled.  "Hello, Yuugi," she greeted him, causing him to stop his pacing and look up at her.

"Hello, Isis-san.  How's Kaiba-kun?"  Without waiting for an answer he resumed his pacing. 

"As much of a bastard as always."  His pacing was beginning to make her worry.  Why was he doing that anyway?  Was he trying to hide something or was he just nervous?  "How's every one else doing?"  He responded with a curt "fine," stopping and turning to look at the front door of the apartment building.  "How is Jounouchi doing?"

Was it just her imagination, or did Yuugi seem to be trembling slightly?  His physical reaction did not seem to be a good sign.  "I don't know."

"What do you mean?"

"I haven't heard from him," Yuugi admitted, looking towards the ground.  She did not need to remind him of the severity of the situation.  He looked absolutely crestfallen that he had failed in protecting his friend.  "He wasn't answering his phone, so I came over to see if he's okay, but I'm not supposed to know where he lives."

Isis thought that bit of information was a bit startling.  She had thought they were so close that they frequented each other's house often.  She smiled at Yuugi, reassuringly placing her hand on his shoulder.  "It's okay, Yuugi.  Why don't we go see how he's doing together?"

Yuugi lifted his head to look at her, unshed tears lining his eyes.  He nodded once.  "Okay.  Besides, Jounouchi's capable of taking care of himself, isn't he?"  If Yuugi doubted Jounouchi, she saw no way she could reassure him.  However, she nodded, for her sake as much as his.  

She followed him into the building, trying not to think of what they might possibly find.  She had suspected Jounouchi as a target, but most attacks had been directed at Seto recently.  Unless, of course, those attacks were diversions to make them forget about the other possibilities.  She prayed that wasn't the case.  She really didn't think emotionally Yuugi would have been able to handle it.  She had grown rather fond of Yuugi, and Jounouchi as well.  They at least had the courage to get what they wanted.

Yuugi knocked on the door once, but after a few minutes, it was painfully obvious to Isis that nobody was going to answer.  "Maybe he's not home," she suggested to Yuugi.  She wanted to believe it herself.  

Yuugi tried the knob, pushing the door inward.  "No, the door is unlocked."  Isis shook her head, wishing she had chosen another path for her walk.  Well, she was here now and she was not about to let Yuugi go in by himself.

She followed him inside, cringing as glass broke more underneath his foot.  "Be careful," she told Yuugi, watching to make sure she didn't step on anything hazardous in the process.  She could hardly believe that Jounouchi actually lived there.  Maybe something had really happened to him.

She saw him first, lying on the couch with one hand draped across his stomach and disappearing on his other side.  Yuugi saw him immediately after she did, and started making his way over to him.  Isis noticed Jounouchi had blood on the side of his face, and the rest of him didn't look too well either.  She hoped he wasn't unconscious or, even worse, dead.  However, she was reassured when she saw the wrist of the disappeared hand move ever so slightly.  Until she saw the knife he had hidden behind him.  "Yuugi, look out!" she called as Jounouchi started to move. 

She closed her eyes, expecting the worst, opening them when she heard a loud thud.  Jounouchi had fallen off the couch and onto the floor, with the knife quite forgotten beside him.  "Yuugi," he murmured as his smaller friend fell down into his arms.  Jounouchi wrapped his arms tightly around Yuugi.  "Yuugi, I'm so glad it's only you."

Isis smiled slightly, grateful they were both all right now.  Yuugi pulled away from Jounouchi, kneeling down next to him.  "Jounouchi, what happened? You don't look too good," he said, pushing his friend's hair away from the cut.

"I'll be okay," Jounouchi reassured him, drawing Yuugi back down to him.  "I just had a run-in with one of Malik's freaks.  Don't worry; he won't be back here any time soon."

Isis took her cue to leave; now that she knew Jounouchi was still safe there was no more reason for her to be there.  Besides, they would probably want to be alone for a while.  She made her way outside, planning on heading back to the Kaiba mansion.  However, as she stepped outside, the sight of a familiar robed figure made her quickly reevaluate her plan.

~ Oh, cliffhangers suck, I know.  At least we had some sweet Seto and Isis moments.  Now remember to review people.  It's the only way I know what you want.


End file.
